Microeconomic Analysis of Apple, Inc

Founded in 1976, Apple Inc. is one of the largest, most successful, and most recognizable brands in the world that specializes in computer software, online music and entertainment services, and most notably consumer electronics. Currently valued at over $700 billion (USD), the growth in market share of just the iPhone alone contributed an estimated one-quarter to one-third of a percentage point to the annualized growth rate in the U.S. gross domestic product (Kuang, 2015). In addition to the wildly successful iPhone, other notable devices in the Apple lineup include multiple variations of the iPad, iPad Mini, and iPad Air; many configurations of the MacBook, MacBook Pro, and MacBook Air; the iMac, Mac Pro, and Mac Mini; the Apple TV; and most recently released in April of 2015, the Apple Watch. Creating this venerable suite of products and devices is a globally diversified workforce that continues to grow, sitting today at over 110,000 people strong. As of December 2015, Apple is responsible for creating and supporting over 1.9 million jobs, nearly seventy five percent of which stem from the expansive iOS ecosystem. The remainder of those jobs include new construction jobs related to data centers, jobs at key suppliers of raw materials used in the manufacturing process, and finally corporate employees of the company itself. Apple directly employs more than 76,000 people in the United States alone, those employees represent nearly two-thirds of their global team (Apple Inc., 2015). In a recent press release out of Apple’s Cupertino, California headquarters, officials of the company announced a record fourth quarter, posting a quarterly revenue of $51.5 billion (USD), and a net profit of $11.1 billion. Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook reported that “fiscal 2015 was Apple’s most successful year ever, with revenue growing twenty eight percent to nearly $234 billion”…...

...ECO320-65: CAPSTONE
Economic Analysis of Apple Inc
Student 2
Cleary University
May 14, 2007
ECO320-65: CAPSTONE
Economic Analysis of Apple Inc.
Introduction 3
Industry analysis 4
Personal computers 4
Computer software 5
iPod and iTunes 5
Company analysis 7
Apple Computers Inc 7
Apple Inc 8
Innovation 9
Profitability 9
Recommendations 11
Personal computing 11
Conclusions 12
References 13
Appendix 14
Introduction
The primary purpose of this report is to execute an economic analysis on Apple Inc. We will review the impacts that the competitive market has had on Apple, since it was founded in 1976. This report will detail how Apple Inc. is both a dire example of the adverse effects of monopolistic competition on a company as other companies into the market; as well as an exceptional example the economic rewards yielded by innovation and brand differentiation within a competitive market.
An analysis of Apple Inc would be incomplete without reviewing its past and present competitors. Reviewing these competitors will help the reviewer gain insight into comparative advantages held by other companies and the economic impact this has had on Apple Inc. this report will review the industry as a whole in order to understand the impacts of industry level supply and demand upon Apple Inc.
The report will briefly examine the impact of market prices and international trade as an aspect of this report. More importantly, it will review......

...Case Analysis, Apple Inc. 1
Case Analysis, Apple Inc.
1 of 4
Case Analysis, Apple Inc. 2
This case analysis is written to analyze the topic of Strategic Management and answering the question of why it is critical to the success of an organization in meeting its goals and mission. This analysis will address the major issues surrounding the organization or individuals involved with the organization, will identify alternate courses of action to address the issues identified with a decision/recommendation for action.
Once called Apple Computer and historically know for its Macintosh personal computers (PC) line, Apple Computer dropped the latter part of its name in 2007 and became Apple, Inc. Even though non-PC product lines drove the majority of Apple’s financial performance there still seemed to be no real change in the company’s strategic profile. There were several thousand people that were laid off and by lying off employees to try and fix their financial issues, could have been a portion of the problem (Yoffie & Slind, 2008). Jobs are what contribute to a company’s effectiveness. If the jobs had been retained and management had attempted to find new ways of conducting business to survive by being innovative, Apple, Inc. may have witnessed success earlier (Mello, 2011, pp 112-115). Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and John Sculley came on board and made great strides towards increase in effective marketing, partnering with other companies and joint......

...APPLE, INC.
CASE ANALYSIS
Written by: Jessica A. Mahfoudi
AMBA 640
Dr. Larry Williams
University of Maryland University College
February 25, 2013
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Management Information Systems allow companies to remain competitive in today’s fast-paced world and especially when conducting business on the Internet. Organizations must adapt to technological advances and innovations to keep pace with today’s rapidly changing environment (Baltzan, 2012). Every day there is some type of new technology, new internet site, new software or hardware program that someone is learning how to use. Apple, being a major technology company needs to keep up with these advances to keep their customers happy.
This paper focuses on Apple, Inc., its competitive advantage and the challenges Apple faces to stay in the top of consumer reports. Data, information, business intelligence and knowledge are discussed and how they are relevant to the production of Apple products. Knowledge cannot be acquired until data, information and business intelligence are researched.
The paper then goes on to discuss Porter’s Five Forces Model and how it is applied to Apple, Inc. and its products. Apple has lowered the threat of substitute products by including a great variety of features on all of their products.
Since the original iPhone's release about four years ago, the threat of substitute products or services has greatly......

...Financial Analysis, Apple Inc.
For the fiscal year ended September 24, 2011
By
Michael Sarkis
04/12/2012
Table of Contents
Abstract 3
Background 3
Stock Performance 5
Ratio Calculations & Interpretations 6
Liquidity Ratios 6
I. Current Ratio 6
II. Quick Ratio 7
Asset Management Ratios 7
I. Inventory Turnover 7
II. Total Asset Turnover 8
Financial Leverage Management Ratios 8
Profitability Ratios 9
I. Gross Profit Margin Ratio 9
II. Net Profit Margin Ratio 9
III. Return on Investment Ratio 10
IV. Return on Stockholder’s Equity Ratio 11
Market-based Ratios 12
Dividends 12
Competition 13
Conclusion 14
References 16
Appendix 17
Table 1 17
Table 2 18
Table 3 19
Table 4 20
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the data from the last Form 10-K filed by Apple Inc. by computing the various financial ratios and comparing them to Industry averages of its category, and by presenting interpretations to show the significance of these ratios and simply explain what do they mean? The data used is real data; it was extracted from the last Form 10-K filed and published by Apple Inc. dated September 24, 2011, (See “Form 10-K” Link on the List of References). I rebuilt the tables on a separate excel sheet to facilitate the computation of the ratios and for the purpose of analyzing and interpreting them, (See the Appendix for a list of all the Tables). Apple is classified as a personal computer......

...SWOT analysis for Apple Inc.
Cornelius Morgan
Kaplan University
GB 540, Section 04N
Professor Fahlino Sjuib
August 27, 2013
SWOT analysis for Apple Inc.
A SWOT analysis takes a look at the internal and external factors that affect a given company. SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. Strengths and weaknesses are the internal factors. Opportunities and Threats are the external factors. The SWOT analysis provides an easy to look at set of information that shows how a company can best match its resources and abilities to be competitive in a given market. (Bradford & Duncan, 2011) A SWOT analysis is an important resource to have for any company.
James Higgins once said, “Innovation is the secret to competitive advantage in today’s rapidly changing environment.” (Higgins, 1995) Having been around since the mid- 1970s, Apple has been a leader in innovation in the electronics and computing industry for quite a while. Their products; Mac Computers, iPods, iPads, the iPad mini, iPhones and other innovations are highly sought after all over the globe. There is no concrete way to determine what will happen to Apple in the future, especially after the death of its visionary and founder, Steve Jobs, in late 2011. A SWOT analysis, when done properly, can help the company formulate the proper strategy to move forward and make the best use of its resources and increase the overall market share that the company owns.
Apple is a brand......

...HEAD: Apple, Inc. SWOT Analysis
Apple, Inc. SWOT Analysis
AIU – MGT680
Abstract
As a senior manager of a computer company, this paper will discuss the company’s competitor, Apple, Inc. This paper will include five factors of strengthens, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for Apple, Inc. It will explain why those factors are important for this company to know. The paper will also propose a strategy and product that will take advantage of Apple, Inc. vulnerabilities which will increase this company’s market share.
Apple, Inc. SWOT Analysis
Introduction
Apple, Inc. is a major competitor for our company and by doing a SWOT analysis of Apple, Inc. means we can help our own strategies. A SWOT analysis looks at strengthens, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats factors of Apple, Inc. By knowing these factors about Apple, Inc. will be important to our company because it takes a look at our competitor. A strategy and product will also be proposed that will take advantage of Apple, Inc. vulnerabilities which will increase this company’s market share.
SWOT Analysis
Strengths
Apple, Inc. has five great strengths that include innovation, brand, customer loyalty, retail stores and marketing, and cash flow abundance. Apple, Inc. innovation includes being the leader in technological innovation with the release of products such as the iPods, iPhone and more. The 2012 Global Innovation 1000 ranked Apple, Inc. number 1 for the 3rd year in a row. Apple, Inc.’s......

...Case Analysis: Apple, inc.
Strategic Human Resources Management
Unit One – Case Analysis
The intended goal of this paper is to explain strategic management and why it is crucial to the success of an organization in meeting its goals and mission. The focus will be on the case study provided by the Harvard Business School on the company Apple, Inc. from the year 2008. I will give a brief overview of the case and identify issues or problems therein. Alternate solutions to solve the problems Apple, Inc. faces will be identified. The best solution to permanently resolve these issues and problems and an implementation plan will be outlined.
The computer circuit board, named Apple I, created in a garage on April Fools’ Day 1976 was the beginning of Apple, Inc. Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and A. C. Markkula Jr., the creators, became the industry leaders in 4 years, finally launching their IPO in 1980. Since its inception, Apple has fought to continually and steadily increase its market share and profits worldwide. Technical innovation has been no problem for this company with its numerous devices available. Their competition from Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Acer, and others and trying to compete made the company falter. According to Slind and Yoffie, Hewlett-Packard led the market share with 18.8% and Apple followed with a mere 2.6% in 2007 (2008, pg. 21). But after some hard work and diligence on Jobs’ end, Apple once again began to flourish.
One obvious problem for Apple......

...Unit 1 Case Analysis: Apple Inc.
Background
In January 2007, Apple Computer Inc was renamed Apple Inc. after 30 years of being a very productive organization. Apple Inc. changed from being known as strictly a Macintosh computer company into a diverse technology company that is known for its art, video, and graphics. They presented this diversity by selling new products such as; the Ipod used together with the iTunes store and the iPhone. In 2008, Apple Inc earned a profit of $1.07 billion from revenue of $7.46 billion. Over half of Apples income was generated from the sales in these new products (Yoffie &Slind, 2008).
Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak founded Apple Computer in April 1976. Their first computer was called the Apple I. Apple Computer was incorporated in 1977 by bring on another partner, A.C. “Mike” Markkula, Jr. With the help of Markkula, Jobs and Wozniak introduced the Apple II computer in 1978. The Apple II drove the PC industry up to $1 billion in annual sales in less than three years. Apple, of course was the industry leader by selling more than 100,000 Apple IIs by the end of 1980 (Yoffie &Slind, 2008).
Apple Inc. Obstacles
In 1981, IBM entered the market with its DOS operating system and a microprocessor from Intel. This made them competitors for Apple because IBM’s system was one that other producers could clone. Apple saw a 6.2% drop in their market shares in 1982 and the net income fell 17% between 1983 and 1984. This left the company in......

...Apple Incorporated is a U.S. based computer and electronics firm that manufactures products such as the iPod, iPhone, Macintosh computer, iPad, and Apple Watch. Apple Incorporated was founded in 1976 by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, who released the Apple II computer in 1977 (Apple Inc…, 2015). The next product launched by Apple Inc. was The Apple Lisa which was released in 1983 and was the first computer to have a mouse and a graphical user interface (Apple Inc…, 2015). The first Macintosh computer came in 1984 however it was not successful due to the lack of market share to compete with IBM (Apple Inc…, 2015). After several years of financial losses, Steve Jobs launched a product redesign in 1997 that led to the iMac in 1998 (Apple Inc…, 2015). During the 2000s, Apple began to focus on portal MP3 devices such as the iPod and mobile phones like the iPhone. Then Apple began a new line of business in the music industry with iTunes. Today, Apple Inc. is a major competitor within the computer and consumer electronics industry. Apple Inc. is headquartered in Cupertino, California and has 76,000 employee based in the United States. Apple Inc. has directly and indirectly created and supported 1.9 million jobs in the United States (Israel & Johnson, 2016). Apple Inc. has stores located in 18 countries including the United States (Apple Inc., 2016). After a brief overview and history of Apple Inc., this critical analysis will take a look at the industry in which it operates,...

...
SWOT Analysis of Apple, Inc.
Name
Institution Affiliation
SWOT Analysis of Apple, Inc.
Company Overview: Apple Inc.
Apple Inc. was co-founded by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak on April 1, 1976 (Johnson, 2012). Originally, the duo sought to develop a simple micro-computer board that could be offered to small and businesses. However, since its conception, Apple exhibited unprecedented growth in the ICT industry with its initial products, including Apple I, Apple II and Macintosh becoming the first commercially successful personal computers that assisted Apple to develop into a profitable, well-regulated firm that has come to be today. Today, the company focuses on the design, manufacture and marketing of a wide variety of consumer electronic products, including personal computers, smartphones, and portable music players, coupled with related computer software, applications, services and peripherals (Laugesen & Yuan, 2010). Apple has global supply chain with more than 250 retail stores distributed worldwide (Johnson et al., 2012). Starting with delivering music only, Apple has ventured into other entertainment content such as videos, television shows, films as well as audio books that are distributed via its ITunes Store (West & Mace, 2010). The current market environment features significant market players with relatively stronger and long established brands such as Microsoft, IBM, Google, Amazon, HP, Lenovo, and Dell (Zairi, 2013).
Strengths
Apple has several......

...Business Analysis of Apple, Inc.
Padma L. Dongre
MGT521
Nov 28, 2011
Dr. Stephen McCann
Background.
Apple Inc. designs, manufactures, and markets personal computers, portable digital music players, and mobile communication devices. It sells a variety of related software, services, peripherals, and networking solutions. The Company sells its products worldwide through its online stores, retail stores, direct sales force, and third-party wholesalers, and resellers. In addition, the Company sells a variety of third-party
Macintosh ("Mac"), iPod, iPhone, iPad compatible products, including application software, printers, storage devices, speakers, headphones, and various other accessories and peripherals through its online and retail stores.
The Company sells to education, consumer, creative professional, business, and government customers. The Company's fiscal year is the 52 or 53-week period that ends on the last Saturday of September.
The Company's strategy also includes expanding its distribution network to effectively reach more of its targeted customers and provide them with a high-quality sales and post-sales support experience.
Financial Analysis: Detailed financial statements are available in Appendix A. This information provides immense detail in the financial status of Apple, Inc. over time. Combined with data regarding product sales, much can be derived to analyze Apple’s strength.
Revenue rose 40% in......

...an economic analysis on Apple Inc. We will review the impacts that the competitive market has had on Apple, since it was founded in 1976. This report will detail how Apple Inc. is both a dire example of the adverse effects of monopolistic competition on a company as other companies into the market; as well as an exceptional example the economic rewards yielded by innovation and brand differentiation within a competitive market.
An analysis of Apple Inc would be incomplete without reviewing its past and present competitors. Reviewing these competitors will help the reviewer gain insight into comparative advantages held by other companies and the economic impact this has had on Apple Inc. this report will review the industry as a whole in order to understand the impacts of industry level supply and demand upon Apple Inc.
The report will briefly examine the impact of market prices and international trade as an aspect of this report. More importantly, it will review specialization is undertaken by Apple Inc and the economic benefits gained by this course of action.
Essentially, the economic view of Apple Inc is looking a company set within the market structure of monopolistic competition and how it has successfully used innovation and branding to turn itself into a pseudo-oligopoly despite competitors continually entering the market.
Industry analysis
Reviewing Apple Inc involves investigating the competitors that almost led to the demise of Apple Computers Inc in......

...MBUS 610
Econ Environment of the Firm
12
Apple Inc.
Economic Firm Analysis
Trey III
Apple Incorporated, formerly known as Apple Computers Incorporated, and more commonly known just as Apple, has lead the way in technology and innovation for consumer electronics with their slender storage capacities, vibrant displays, and incredible touch screen products. When they first started, their focus was more on personal computers for customers, but as the company has aged, so has their focus expanded towards this idea of consumer electronics as a whole. Seeing as they now offer popular devices including, but not limited to, computers (Mac Book), home theater (Apple TV), phones (iPhone), tablets (iPad), and media (iPod), it can clearly be seen that versatility is a strong suite of theirs.
Everywhere you look, an Apple product can be found. From the consumer’s perspective, this is not merely a local market. Not only can you purchase Apple products from Apple online or Apple stores, but their products can be found in any number of places, including Wal-Mart, Best Buy, and Fred Meyers. Similarly, if your device breaks down, wherever you can find a computer or an Apple store, you can be helped. From personal experience, when my first iPod broke, all that I needed to do was go online and request a replacement device. Two weeks later a box showed up for me to send my old one away, and a week later Apple shipped me a new iPod. Similarly, if you are having problems with......